Theatre Days

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Later in the month saw the first visit by the revived D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Although still the same organisation - and still without any public subsidy - it was on a very different basis, with only two operas being performed in the week instead of five or six. Also, with a frequently changing stable of singers (with just a very few who had been with the 'old' company).

 

Houses were a bit better than three quarters full.

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

More opera, with Opera North's extended visit in June 1988.

 

I gave the Janacek piece a miss and also 'Tosca' because it was given in Italian, but enjoyed the other two. Theatre was practically full for both.

 

One of Opera North's book-style programmes - certainly plenty to read in the intervals!

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Musical theatre of a very different kind came the following month with the early 1950s musical that sadly nowadays seems to have dropped out of sight.  Although with no stars in the cast it deserved a larger audience than the quarter full house on the night I was there, with my Balcony ticket securing admittance to the Dress Circle. 

 

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed it, with two catchy songs including:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WwWGu-5J20

 

You can keep your Janacek!

 

[EileenH 496]

Oh Salad Days! A lovely little musical. I went to see it in the sixties at the Theatre Royal. Happy memories - I bought the cd but it wasn't the same.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

For some reason I missed the first of the four plays in the usual summer rep' season but that left 'Scales of Justice'  by Peter Saunders, 'Murder on the Nile', which apparently was Agatha Christie's own adaptation for the stage of 'Death on the Nile' (minus Poirot) and 'Dial M For Murder' - always worth seeing.

 

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Followed on by another thriller. I remember next to nothing about it. Not too bad a house - between a third and half full, with perhaps Richard Todd being a draw. As usual my Balcony ticket got me into the Upper Circle.

 

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Back to musical theatre again in October 1988 with some Ivor Novello whose works, as with 'Salad Days', seem now to have sadly dropped out of sight.

 

Admittedly with no stars in the cast (no John Hanson any more) few enough turned out to this show on the night I was there - only about a quarter full, so as usual it was the Upper Circle for me.

 

Several hit songs in the show - 'We'll Gather Lilacs' probably being the biggest, although interpolated from 'Perchance to Dream', plus 'Some Day My Heart Will Awake' and 'Take Your Girl'. Also interpolated was 'Glamorous Night'.

 

 

 

[EileenH 496]

John Hanson! A great favourite of mine. I saw him in 'Desert Song' of course, and do I misremember seeing him in a production of 'The Student Prince' at some time, or is this wishful thinking?  I wonder.

If only I'd thought to save programmes like some other clever person.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

If you scroll back several pages you'll see a few references to John Hanson - 'The Student Prince', 'The Desert Song', and a production of 'Rose Marie' which featured Su Pollard in her pre-TV star days.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

The musical theme for 1988 continued with 'La Boheme' from Opera North and finished with another Arts Council-subsidised company in December with New Sadler's Wells Opera giving performances of 'The Gondoliers' and Offenbach's 'La Belle Helene'.

 

Surprisingly I remember nothing of the former despite former D'Oyly Carte' stalwart John Ayldon in an unfamiliar role. Theatre was under three quarters full.

 

I can remember some of the music from the Offenbach, and disappointingly the theatre was only about half full.

 

 

[Jill Sparrow 10,305]

#237

 

In the early 1970s. Su Pollard and my older sister, Julie, were sharing a flat in West Bridgford. Both were working in secretarial jobs in Nottingham and heavily involved with what was then the Cooperative Arts Theatre.

 

Around the end of 1973, Su auditioned in London for John Hanson 's The Desert Song and was offered a part in the chorus. As she had been singing in pubs and clubs, she'd managed to acquire the coveted Equity card, so off she went. My sister is still in touch with Su but I don't think she has ever achieved her full potential. Like so many, she became typecast as Peggy, the potty chalet maid. There is so much more to Su than that. Those who saw her performances at the Arts Theatre know what a brilliant serious actress she is. Sadly, a side she never had a chance to show the wider public.

[catfan 14,793]

I always believed Jill that Su being typecast as that "Dippy" Peggy in the TV series actually did her career more harm than good. I've heard her on local radio many times & thought  leave "Peggy" behind & be yourself for once. Don't talk & sound so stupid in real life when she didn't need to .The public never really got to see her full potential.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Into 1989 and a classic by Emlyn Williams - although as usual I can remember nothing of it.

 

Only some minor TV names in the cast, perhaps leading to a desperately poor turn out of less than a one fifth full theatre. My Balcony ticket getting me in the Dress Circle.

 

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

In February a Shaw comedy, which I think was a little less wordy than some of his others.  This is the play on which the musical 'The Chocolate Soldier' was based.

 

No 'names' in the cast, but just under one third full, with my Balcony ticket as usual meaning the Upper Circle.

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

At the end of the month was the Noel Coward classic. Something else that's gone from the memory despite the presence of Peggy Mount.  Good old Gerald Flood back again with some other TV names, but the theatre was no more than a third full.

 

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

April 1989 saw the visit of Opera North and 'The Marriage of Figaro' for me (theatre almost full) but I gave 'Manon' a miss as it was done in French.

 

The next month there was a classic play about which I can remember nothing. Theatre was a respectable half full:

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

May saw the visit of what was effectively a one-woman show, no doubt very popular with touring managements. I thought it was very good, although I've never bothered to see the film.

 

 

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Opera North were back again at the beginning of June when I saw 'The Marriage of Figaro' and Mussorgsky's ' Boris Godunov'. What I remember of the latter was the outstanding singing of John Tomlinson (now Sir John) in the title role.

 

This was followed by the new D'Oyly Carte company with two old favourites. Encouragingly, for 'The Mikado' the theatre was nearly full, and for 'Pirates' it was better than three quarters.

 

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

The following month saw an adaptation of the classic novel.  The main thing I remember about is being almost the only man in the audience. Theatre was about a third full.

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

The following week saw another of those plays about which I remember nothing. Only a quarter full, my Balcony ticket got me into the Upper Circle as usual.

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

For some reason I only saw two out of the usual four plays in the summer season of thrillers.

 

I do remember 'The Ghost Train' because they rather sent it up, playing for laughs. While it was enjoyable I thought it was rather a shame the play wasn't seen as able to stand on its own merits as a thriller.

 

 

For both plays the theatre was about one quarter full.

 

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Later in September 1989 was another thriller. As usual, I can remember nothing about it, but I'm surprised to note the theatre was not far short of full, so for once I had to sit in the seat I'd paid for.

 

 

 

Back cover:

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

February 1990 and another play forgotten by me. Quite well attended at just under half full, but as usual I was in the Upper Circle with a Balcony ticket.

 

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

The next month saw an adaptation of the noted novel:

 

 

 

Back cover:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Merthyr Imp 729]

April 1990 and an Ayckbourn comedy. I remember bits of this one - something to do with a robot woman.  Theatre was only a quarter full and my Balcony ticket was good for a Stalls seat.